The observation deck would raise pedestrians “above the traffic” and provide new views of Washington, according to the project’s architect.
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For years, some enthusiasts of classical architecture have argued that Washington needs a triumphal arch, contending that a new monument would be a fitting way to mark America’s 250th anniversary.
President Donald Trump took the idea, enlarged it and is now pushing to begin construction on a 250-foot-tall arch as soon as possible. The planned monument, which would be built in a traffic roundabout on the edge of the city, would represent the president’s most significant change to Washington’s skyline.
Many have focused on the arch’s exterior, but The Washington Post has created the first 3D visualization of its interior to provide a fuller view of what visitors would experience.
Much of the public debate around the arch has centered on how it would affect other nearby memorials, particularly the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Several military veterans have sued because of how the towering structure would alter their visiting experience to the cemetery. A 60-foot-tall Lady Liberty statue and other golden statuary would sit atop the arch.
The arch also would be built in Memorial Circle, which sits at one end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and is familiar to commuters as they drive between Washington and Virginia. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia), whose district includes the cemetery, has warned that the project could snarl the region’s traffic.
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Trump officials and their design team have countered that the arch would offer a new way to experience Washington, thanks to its planned observation deck, which visitors can access via elevator or staircases. Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, a classical architect at Harrison Design who is overseeing the project, told a federal commission last month that the arch would restore pedestrians “to the point of primacy” by offering them a vantage point to look at the city and its memorials, as opposed to the obstructed views available on a bridge choked with cars.
“This vantage point, which affords visitors 360-degree views of Washington, D.C., and Virginia, raises the human above the traffic,” Charbonneau told the Commission of Fine Arts, which reviews the design of monuments and other major projects in the capital. The fine arts commission, which Trump has stacked with allies, soon voted to approve the planned arch.
The National Capital Planning Commission, another federal panel that Trump has packed with his deputies, is set on Thursday to review and potentially approve the proposed design, too.
The White House has not said if it will seek further approvals after that vote or begin the process of building the arch. Trump officials are not planning to seek approval from Congress for the project.
White House officials have also declined to share projected cost estimates for the arch, saying that a mix of taxpayer and private money is expected to be used to pay for it.
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